Guimarães Castle
Open: Monday to Sunday 10 a.m-6 p.m (last entry at 5.30 p.m)
Closed: 1st January, Easter Sunday, Labour Day (1st May), 25th December and 24th June (municipal holiday)
FREE ACCESS only to the ground floor, due to ongoing requalification works.
A symbol of Portugal’s origins and of King Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, Guimarães Castle is one of the most emblematic monuments of Portuguese medieval imagery.
Its original construction dates back to the time of Mumadona Dias, who had it built in the middle of the 10th century to defend the monastery of Santa Maria de Guimarães from Moorish and Norman attacks.
Subject to various alterations over the centuries, the Castle of Guimarães has kept little of its original layout. In the 16th century, it was used as a jail, and in the following century it was also used as a royal hayloft and a quarry.
It was only in the first half of the 20th century that it was subjected to renovation, in a campaign led by the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments, which gave it the appearance it has today.
Open to the public since June 1940, on the occasion of the Commemorations of the VIII Centenary of the Foundation of Nationhood, Guimarães Castle, classified as a National Monument since 1910, is today one of the most visited monuments in the North.
Come find out why yourself. See you soon!